ZOË VAN MOURIK
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2/13/2020

nh & energy therapy

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klik hier voor Nederlands


MY VISION AND BELIEFS:

When I started working with horses, I was inspired by the old masters like Ray Hunt, Mark Rashid and Buck Brannaman. Their way of not "working" - but connecting with their horses felt so pure and true, I could feel it in my bones. I thought; 'This is what I want to learn, this is what I will pursue.' Now, over 10 years later, I have a passion. To help those who otherwise cannot be heard, to give them a voice and give them their lives back. 

​


Setting yourself up for succes or failure

Horses are too spiritual and too pure to just grab them, hop on their backs and ask for something without ever giving anything in return, like partnership, comfort, respect and an appropriate environment to live in. Somehow, along the way, we've lost our ability to emphatize, to put someone else's needs before our own. We do this when we have children, we make the best choices possible and put our own lives on hold, just to support them. So why not with horses? 


When you're setting goals, or having dreams for your horse, how long does it take you to get to the things that really matter? It's not about the lessons, your tack, your fancy outfit and brand new trailer. It's about making sure your horse is willing and able to do the things you ask from him. Not afraid of the consequences when he fails, but asking for guidance when things get tough. Like true partners. 





Working & living with horses: More than our eyes can see

Over the years, while working with all kinds of horses in The Netherlands and USA, I have tested my theories (yes, I have many!) about partnership as the main ingredient during my rehabilitation program. These horses all had different backgrounds, like racehorses, cutting horses, hunter jumpers, reining horses, warmbloods, coldbloods, thoroughbreds. All with often one thing in common: a complicated and heart-breaking past, which has made them either angry at - or afraid of - people.


Just physical training and care aren't the right tools for these horses. They'll need much more support and guidance on an emotional and spiritual level. Like humans and other animals, horses have several energy fields. Humans have four (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual), horses have three: physical, emotional and spiritual. Each layer has a cellular memory, in which all kinds of impressions are being stored during their lives. 


The physical layer is their body, with the cellular memory of wounds, trauma and disease. 
The emotional layer exists a little outside the body, and carries feelings, emotions and emotional trauma.
The spiritual layer is the most distant, with humans this is the layer that carries our karmic lessons and trauma we're carrying from a life we've lived before. Since horses don't carry anything with them from past lives, this layer represents the Spirit itself, the horse's gift to the world. It's the horse in his highest, purest form.



As you can see, horses do not have a mental layer. So why is that? 
Horses are not able to have negative thoughts or feelings about themselves, or limitative thoughts. They don't hold grudges, they just forgive and let go. However. Horses àre able to carry guilt, fear, all empathetically taken on from the humans it serves. Which means that when you're buying a new horse, they might have some energy blockages due to taking over the emotions from their previous owner(s). Since horses, like most animals, are more grounded than us humans, they are masters in empathetically taking on a humans emotion and then release and clear it very quickly. But if the horse's own needs aren't met, like lack of interaction with other horses, the wrong diet or even neglect/abuse, it gets harder and harder to channel all that (negative) energy. At this point, you'll have a horse that is (either) physically, emotionally or spiritually out of balance. These horses always show typical behavior like cribbing, biting, bolting, shoving, not cooperating, low energy, rearing, bucking or sometimes even attacking. 


​


Integrated Energy Therapy

A great tool (for me) while working with these types of horses, is Integrated Energy Therapy (IET). This is a beautiful and safe way (since I don't necessarily need to be near the horse)to get the energy in their cellular memories flowing again. 

For example, a little insight in IET from one of my study books:
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"The cellular memory in the area of the throat and lungs is where feelings of shame about self-expression are suppressed. There is a great deal of strength in the throat center of a horse. This is conveyed by the archetypal image of the horse standing very proud and regal, with no sense of pride or boastfulness. Horses have a tremendous ability to be expressive and spontaneous. They have a very large range of expression."
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"Energy can be suppressed into the horse's throat center, when a horse chooses to become "domesticated" so that it can enter into the path of service to humans. Some of the energy of a horse's wild spirit is suppressed into the throat center. When the horse is not serving humans and is allowed to be free, this spirit can flow through the cellular memory of the throat center and the horse's true spirited nature will be expressed. 

Typical causes for energy blockage:
- Living under conditions where the horse's true spirit cannot be periodically expressed. 
- Shame empathetically taken on from the humans it serves."

​
By Energizing and Integrating the horse's cellular memories, we are able to imprint and restore the right energy that allows the horse to remain strong and true. To me, an essential part of working with horses. 


"The Human possesses the one thing that means more to the horse than anything in the world, and that is peace and comfort." - Buck Brannaman 
​

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2/13/2020

THE FACES OF 2020

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🌟 I've just started training horses at an Arabian horse rescue; Love This Horse, Equine Rescue operated by Vera and her amazing, dedicated team of trainers and volunteers. 

Vera and I met last year during a horse show in Burbank and chatted about - duh - horses! Luckily she's only a half-an-hour car ride away so now I find myself in the Mojave Desert a couple times a week.
🌵
So far it's been a great challenge, just what I needed to try and develop more of my training skills. I now have four horses to train and get ready for future adopters.

✨Another great surprise was assisting Stephanie and Theona a few days ag, helping Eden learn how to rear for a videoshoot and watch it all come together during filming.
In the almost three years I've been in California, my work with horses was mostly about teaching them NOT to rear, kick, etc. It's very refreshing and definitely fun that I'm now able to do more trick training as well.
🐎
​As for teaching, it was a rough year because my approach/way of teaching - combined with the unique yet very natural life Freedom Ranch offers their animals - has been proven not to be for everyone. 

Some might say I'm "too soft", or "not aggressive/fast enough" but the truth is, I am who I am. That's what matters to me. What you do or what you say, not so much. So I've found my peace with my (and the horse's) pace and with people leaving. After all, they are just making room for new people who are aligned with your destination!
💕


Enough about me, on to what's this really all about; the horses! 🐴

Amber

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🐴⭐ Amber is one of the horses I'm on as a "project". She is located at Jeddah Ranch, where I will also be hosting clinics this year!
Here's some more information on her and how we are doing;

Amber is a 14 year old mare and used to be a barrel racing prospect, she is supposed to have a.lot.of.speed.🤞🐎 Apparently she's also had an accident, causing her to be lame for a while in her right shoulder area.

💖We are now in our first week of rehabilitation, together with her owners I will start figuring out her new diet soon so she can start putting on some weight and get the essential vitamins and minerals she desperately needs.

🌿I'm also going to treat her for ulcers and have her teeth checked as soon as the dentist is in town. She has a "carper back", which can be a symptom of many things.

⚠️ During the Energy Healing session we did a few days ago, I noticed her adrenal gland (stress response from the body, feelings of powerlessness) is dangerously overstimulated. This can easily (and almost always does) effect the horse's stomach, i.e. "ulcers".

Combined with pinning her ears every time she has to make contact with people or other horses, gives me a pretty good picture of what could be the best plan to get her back on track.

Today was our third day working together, focusing on some basic ground manners and enjoying each other's company. She already made some huge improvements, like staying with me in the round pen instead of running away. When walking together, she stops when I stop, she backs up in almost perfect synchronicity with me. She is a smart girl!


📌Jeddah Ranch

Sheban

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Sheban is an older gelding and gaining some weight and muscles.💖 He had an accident with another trainer a while ago, he reared up and fell over, landing on his rider. 

Hopefully Sheban will get back on track physically soon so I can work with him.

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📌Jeddah Ranch

walter

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Walter was found running the Los Angeles freeway a while ago. He was tacked up and covered with what looked like marks from a whip 💔

Animal Control seized him but no one ever came to claim Walter.

Under the care of Vera and her team, Walter bounced back physically 🐴 Emotionally, it's a different story.

I met Walter yesterday, so we were complete strangers. There was a lot of panicking, snorting and avoiding. We had a small conversation, walking around the round pen while changing direction the right way (turning the front legs in)! I'll post a video in the comment section below 👇🏽

He's in the enclosed round pen to give him a bit more peace and to make sure he doesn't try to escape when we come in.

He's about 10 years old and a Lusitano gelding, his face is so majestic and there's so much wisdom in his eyes 💖 A beautiful old soul 🐴

Can't wait to start helping Walter through his last steps of healing and trusting humans again.


📌 Love This Horse Equine Rescue

luke

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Luke is a 19 month old Arabian gelding, who arrived this month at Love This Horse Equine Rescue 🌟

He's learning to lead, pick up his feet and basic ground manners . Luke will definitely find a forever home soon, he's so much fun to work with and very intelligent.


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📌 Love This Horse Equine Rescue

akkadia

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Akkadia is a sweet 19 year old mare, who's ready to get some more training on her and find a forever home.

Copied from original post Love This Horse Equine Rescue:

RCF AKKADIA - AHR*606868 - has settled in nicely also. She is very sweet. Poor girl lacks muscle tone and could use another 200 pounds on her. --- This sweet straight Egytian mare has the "who is who" of the Al Khamsa world in her pedigree, MORAFIC, AL METRABBI ++, THEEGYPTIANPRINCE, IMPERIAL IMDAL +, NAZEER, ALAA ELDIN.
​So, these are some of the new faces of 2020 so far! Hopefully they will all find forever homes this year, thank you for following their journey and your support! 💖

If you'd like to learn more about the horses or the rescues/ranches, visit their Facebookpages below:

Facebook: The Horsewoman / Jeddah Ranch / Freedom Ranch / Love This Horse
Instagram: zoevanm / 
Website: www.zoevanmourik.com / ​

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2/13/2020

herbs for horses | Trailerloading

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WORKING IN COMPLETE HARMONY
​WITH YOUR HORSE

by using all-natural, plant-based products 🌾

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Aren't you just a teeny, tiny bit curious about how this horse changed from photo 1 to photo 2, in just three short sessions? 

I thought you would be! 


The horse in the photos is a big, young Quarter Horse mare with a history of abuse, including bad trailer experiences, with some ending in serious injuries. 

Her response to too much pressure/feeling pressured or fear/fear of pain, is to start a physical "challenge" by pulling, rearing or even charging - if we have to believe previous owners. 

It took me three short sessions, lots of breathing work ànd the use of some little helpers that I'm about to share with you:

They're called Linden blossom, Hop, Rue and Valerian and they all party in the same bottle:

​

​Relax Compositum 
🌺🌸🌼
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How does it work?

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Relax compositum supports the horse during stressful events, like a visit from the farrier or vet or moving to a new location.

It's an herbal tincture, made with plants that have soothing abilities that help the horse to relax during inner turmoil. 

It's not recommended for long-term use, since the Compositum will only help fight symptoms of the problem

It is however, a great tool to use while safely figuring out the roots of the problem. Start by giving your horse or pony a dosage of 20 - 30 drops, two to three times daily.
You can easily cover some treats with the tincture, or drop the oil over their feed. 

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*It is not suitable for lactating horses or during pregnancy. ​
​
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The "Relax Compositum" in action:
​🌟Stress-free trailer loading for Lucky in three sessions 🐴🌴

She's had some bad experiences so I'm working with her to get her to load safely and without stress.


🌿I'm using the Relax Compositum from De Groene Os to help the horses "calm down" more quickly. It allows their mind to breathe, open up and actually learn, process AND apply what we are doing.

Lucky is infamous for her ability to shut down mentally and emotionally - due to people abusing her - and just physical work alone, will not help break these bad habits.


For a horse like Lucky, there has to be room for emotional, mental and spiritual support, by creating a low energy/high frequency bubble for us to work in, supported by the powerful, all-natural Relax Compositum tincture 🙏🏽

​
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Day one was all about focusing on being calm and in the present around the trailer.

20 minutes before we started this session, I gave her some treats with drops from the Relax Compositum tincture. 

I definitely witnessed her emotional state becoming softer after a correction, instead of harder. This offered her more time to take a few breaks and process what we just did. 

During this session, she loaded safely with two legs in the trailer.

We actually worked these sessions with three people (me, my horse-savvy husband and the owner of the mare/ranch) to make sure she has support outside and inside the trailer.

It took some practice but after just a few minutes we were perfectly in tune and ready to team up. 

As soon as two legs inside wasn't that much of a problem anymore, I started asking for a calm back-up. First by lowering her head, then by gently but firmly adding pressure against her chest and releasing as soon as she moved away. 

I watched closely to see if and when her head moved up even a few inches, to respond by stopping her, petting her and talking to her. Then I asked her to drop her head again and after a few times she backed up nicely. 

Enough for session one.

​

Day two was a very interesting day. I never focus on getting the horse in the trailer, I rather focus on creating and maintaining a positive flow for the both of us to work in. Where there is room to safely explore and communicate.

Again, this is exactly the spectrum where the Relax Compositum offers support. Just like the day before, I sprinkled the drops over some treats and after 15-20 minutes we headed towards the trailer.

We worked a lot on backing out (with still just two legs in). She panicked as soon as her ears hit the roof/walls, so in hindsight it was definitely a good call to not load her with all four legs already.

​We worked on this, the same way we did during the first session and ended when she started to walk into the trailer herself!

Day three was the day where she finally - and safely! - loaded with all four legs.

We picked up where we'd left off the day before, and so did the mare. She again offered to walk into the trailer herself. We praised and cheered her on and built from that.

It didn't take long for her to - one time, literally - run inside and happily eat her hay and apples. Since we had lots of time left, we turned on the engine of the truck, closed the doors/window and ALL was fine. 
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So, as you probably can tell I am a HUGE fan of this supplement. I am a true "plant-power hippie" and always looking for the best way to support the wellbeing of the horses that are under my care. 

The Relax Compositum is available online!!!! Although, since it's a Dutch company with a Dutch website, I understand if you're having difficulties.
That's why I'm making this EASY by letting you know that you can simply send me an email with your order and I will take care of the rest. 


Facebook: The Horsewoman / De Groene Os
Instagram: zoevanm / de_groene_os
Website: www.zoevanmourik.com / www.degroeneos.nl ​

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2/13/2020

TRAUMA STEALS OUR VOICE

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​I've worked with several horses who were showing typical signs of stomach problems, or cribbing although they were in good physical condition which was very confusing for the owners.

They tried everything, from changing the feed to monitoring possible ulcers but nothing worked.


After just one session of Energy Therapy, the horses were ALL calming down, processing everything we just went through together, with room to move on and leave this hurtful behavioral patterns behind 🙏🏽👋🏽 How?

When horses are domesticated they no longer have the same freedom a wild horse still has. They trade this freedom for safety and peace with us. But when we take away too much of that (physical of emotional) freedom, they can experience feelings of suppression. This effects our throat, or 3rd chakra, our ability to speak our own truth. In people and animals alike.


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I've been fighting nasty throat infections and other throat related illnesses since the day I was born. I tried so many things with so many different doctors, but nothing ever worked until I started to work on my emotional and mental health. I created boundaries, a healthy lifestyle and learned to speak my truth and a lot of physical stress finally went (and stayed) away. 

So with horses it works the same way. The body is showing what is going on from the inside, but we need to learn not how to look but how to observe. Horses do not become agressive, dominant or crazy for no reason and it is most definitely possible to help heal them.
I'm always grateful for being asked to work with these horses, the ones that need a voice the most. A voice of their own.
​

​If you'd like to know more about the use of various types of Energy Healing, feel free to send me a message with your questions .
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Love, Zoë

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2/13/2020

stress-free trailer loading

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🌟Stress-free trailer loading for Lucky this morning 🐴🌴
She's had some bad experiences so I'm working with her (and another horse) this week to get her to load safely and without stress.



🌿I'm using the Relax Compositum from @de_groene_os to help the horses "calm down" more quickly. It allows their mind to breathe, open up and actually learn, process AND apply what we are doing.


Lucky is infamous for her ability to shut down mentally and emotionally - due to people abusing her - and just physical work alone will not help break these bad habits.


For a horse like Lucky, there has to be room for emotional, mental and spiritual support, by creating a low energy/high frequency bubble for us to work in, supported by the powerful, all-natural Relax Compositum tincture 🙏🏽
And apples 🍎 there were also Apples involved 😂



⚠️If you're interested in the oils, tinctures and more all-natural products that I use for horses ànd pets, please send me a DM and I will be more than happy to help you 📥🙋🏻‍♀️
​

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Pictures of today (Day One of Two)
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Follow Lucky's progress on Facebook or read full blog HERE
Facebook: The Horsewoman / De Groene Os
Instagram: zoevanm / de_groene_os
Website: www.zoevanmourik.com / www.degroeneos.nl ​

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2/13/2020

ASHWAGANDHA"THE KING OF AYUVERDIC HERBS"

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Adaptonicum - De Groene Os 🌟
Gemaakt van het kruid Ashwagandha: "The King of Ayurverdic herbs" 🌿


Deze plant bevat sterke anti-oxidanten en biedt een ondersteunende werking bij angst, stress, slapeloosheid, etc. Ashwagandha heeft sterke adaptogene effecten, maar wat houdt dat nou precies in? 🤔


🌿Adaptogenen zijn kruiden die hun functies binnen ons lichaam kunnen aanpassen naar onze persoonlijke, specifieke behoefte. Verstoringen worden direct opgemerkt, tevens bieden adaptogenen vergelijkbare, positieve effecten op onze gemoedstoestand (zoals het in balans brengen van ons hormoonstelsel).


🙋🏻‍♀️Ik ben al geruime tijd fan van Adaptogenen. In poedervorm mix ik ze door mijn thee, sap of smoothies, waardoor het oplost en een soort tonic wordt 🍹Mijn huidige Tonic is gemaakt van Cacao, Maca, Cayenne, Kaneel en Pink Salt (allen biologisch). Een combinatie ter ondersteuning van de algehele vitaliteit van Lichaam en Geest en om deze laatste in het Hier en Nu te kunnen laten zijn ☯️



ℹDe tinctuur van De Groene Os is verkrijgbaar in vloeibare vorm (100ml), makkelijk over het voer te druppelen en kan worden gebruikt bij langdurige verschijnselen zoals stress of ter verbetering van het prestatievermogen. Deze tinctuur ga ik gebruiken bij mijn eigen paard, een rescue merrie met nog altijd wat opborrelend oud zeer en alle bijbehorende emoties. ​
Zelf ga ik over op een Adaptogenen Tonic die òok van Ashwagandha is gemaakt! Overige ingrediënten zijn Gember, Kardemom, Kaneel en Pink Salt, een mix die zorgt voor toename van vitaliteit en gevoelens van blijdschap🙏🏽🤸‍♀️


Ik ben heel benieuwd en nieuwsgierig naar de resultaten van Ashwagandha, bij zowel mijn paard als bij mij zelf 😊🤞🏽
Het verloop, de resultaten en mijn bevindingen deel ik uiteraard ook met jullie op Social Media.

Stay tuned!💙

Facebook: The Horsewoman / De Groene Os
Instagram: zoevanm / de_groene_os
Website: www.zoevanmourik.com / www.degroeneos.nl 


✴Vergeet niet de Stories/Verhalen van Facebook en Instagram èn InstagramTV, op zowel mijn kanaal als dat van De Groene Os!
​

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2/13/2020

new collaboration

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Dus... wàt zat er nou in die doos, die gisteren in onze brievenbus zat..? 🤔😁


In samenwerking met De Groene Os mag ik drie producten gaan gebruiken, ter ondersteuning bij mijn rehabilitatie werk met de paarden, hier in Amerika 👏🏽😍


💘Ik ben helemaal happy met deze samenwerking, De Groene Os is al jaren actief op het gebied van ondersteunende middelen voor (huis)dieren op natuurlijke basis. Niet alleen kunnen hun producten ondersteuning bieden bij fysieke stress, maar ook bij emotionele, mentale of spirituele onbalans. Helemaal mijn ding dus!


1️⃣Het eerste product waar ik mee aan de slag mag gaan, is Groene Leem.
"Een kruidenpasta met verkoelende, verzachtende en herstellende werking van de gevoelige huid." Het wordt veel gebruikt bij wondverzorging, maar ook wij mensen kunnen er iets heel leuks èn nuttigs mee.. 😁
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2️⃣ Relax Compositum
Een kruidentinctuur gemaakt van planten met een rustgevende werking. Biedt een kortdurend, snel effect bij innerlijke onrust.
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3️⃣ Adaptonicum
Een tinctuur van het kruid Ashwaganda, ondersteunt bij langdurige fysieke/mentale/emotionele/spirituele stressverschijnselen.
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​🙋🏻‍♀️🐴Verspreid over de komende maanden zal ik in de vorm van een vlog en blogs met beeldmateriaal, mijn bevindingen en de resultaten met jullie delen. Ik laat zien hoe en wanneer ik de producten gebruik, bij welke paarden en in welke situaties.


Dit allemaal kun je volgen via:
Facebook: The Horsewoman / De Groene Os
Instagram: zoevanm / de_groene_os
Website: www.zoevanmourik.com / www.degroeneos.nl 


✴Vergeet niet de Stories/Verhalen van Facebook en Instagram èn InstagramTV, op zowel mijn kanaal als dat van De Groene Os!
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💙 LIEFS, ZOË

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2/13/2020

wat te doen bij spanning?

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Door paarden hun basisbehoeften zoals ruimte en gezelschap te gunnen zullen ook zij minder stress ervaren
Als je overlevingsmechanisme en de daarbij horende stress - bedoeld om je te waarschuwen voor mogelijk gevaar - je dagelijkse bestaan overneemt, ervaar je uiteindelijk serieuze blokkades, o.a. fysiek.

Ervaren we veel (emotionele) stress, dan slaan sommigen van ons uiteindelijk door in een staat van "Bevriezen" - een overlevingsmechanisme waarmee we ons mentaal en emotioneel kunnen afsluiten tegen onverwachte, enorme golven van stress, angst of andere negatieve prikkels, ervaringen en situaties.
​


De lagere hersenfuncties in ons Limbisch Systeem nemen het automatisch over. Dat betekent ook lagere vibraties in energie - en de lange termijn gevolgen die dit met zich meebrengt.

❄Bevriezen/Freeze bij zowel Mensen als Paarden: gevoelens van machteloosheid, mentaal afsluiten, gevangen voelen en een opkropping/opborrelen van energie die vroeg of laat ZAL exploderen. Het is een compleet onvrijwillige reactie.
​

🐴Paarden die dezelfde reactie hebben 'leren ontwikkelen' - door toedoen van de mens - hebben bijna altijd typische, bijkomende 'gedragsproblemen' zoals buddy sourness (niet meer bij hun maatje(s) weg willen) en barn sourness (niet meer van huis weg willen).

Dit soort paarden maken fysiek een 'breekbare', tengere of slungelige - zelfs lompe - indruk. Emotioneel gezien zijn ze ook erg fragiel, maar dan meer als een bom. ⚗

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Stress reacties worden in o.a. ons fysieke lijf opgeslagen. Als wij als Mens bijvoorbeeld te veel hooi op onze vork nemen/ te veel op ons bordje krijgen, maar toch doorgaan en onszelf over onze grenzen pushen, ervaren we bijna allemaal hoofdpijn, nek pijn, last van schouderpijn/opgetrokken schouders door spanning/spierknopen.


We kunnen elke maand naar de chiropractor gaan, of een betere bureaustoel aanschaffen, maar als de oorzaak (stress) van deze fysieke pijnen niet wordt aangepakt, zullen dezelfde symptomen altijd weer opduiken.

Hetzelfde geldt voor Paarden 🐴


Hoe veel Paarden ik wel niet tegenkom met rugproblemen, spanning in de poll of kaak, amper bewegingsvrijheid in de schouder...
Deze paarden waren allemaal - fysiek - meerdere malen door verschillende professionals nagekeken en eventueel behandeld. Er was geen oorzaak te vinden.


Terug naar de Mens:
Toen ik klein was, was ik een 'Freeze Person'. Ik klapte dicht, het voelde alsof ik me door een enorme, onzichtbare druk niet meer kon bewegen. Ik hoorde niets meer, er kwamen in ieder geval geen zinnige woorden binnen.


Inmiddels ben ik een "Flight or Fight Person", maar ervaar nog regelmatig het gevoel van Bevriezen, niet meer zo heftig, maar genoeg om me de hele dag op de bank gelijmd te houden.
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ℹHet is meerdere malen bewezen dat bewegen de mentale gezondheid van de Mens ondersteund. Maar zo werkt het ook bij Paarden! Paarden met bovengenoemde "typische gedragsproblemen horende bij een extreem "Freeze" instinct als overlevingsmechanisme", verbeteren enorm na wat gymnastiserend werk aan de hand, verruimen van passen, werken aan coördinatie en balans op verschillende ondergronden, etc.


Door fysiek en doelgericht met ze aan het werk te gaan, krijgen dit soort paarden Mentaal en Emotioneel hun gevoel van vrijheid weer - een beetje - terug. Ze leren kunnen vertrouwen op hun eigen 4 benen, onder begeleiding van de mens en langzaam maar zeker vloeit ook de opgeslagen stress in het fysieke lijf helemaal weg. Hoe mooi is dat? 


Hoewel het bij Mensen en Paarden dus - een beetje - anders werkt, feit blijft dat gezonde porties van fysieke uitdaging, onze hersenfuncties verbeteren. Vanuit daar vindt het zijn eigen, unieke weg in ons fysieke, emotionele en spirituele lijf.
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Liefs, Zoe

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2/13/2020

kijk mee met Een energie behandeling

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ℹVoordat ik bij een paard /potentiële klant langskom, wil ik eerst weten of we al eventuele fysieke blokkades kunnen vinden en eventueel laten behandelen door bijvoorbeeld een dierenarts, hoefsmid, osteopaat etc.

1️⃣In de eerste plaats vraag ik dit om te voorkomen dat ik werk met een paard dat daadwerkelijk een fysiek probleem heeft, waar ik vervolgens verantwoordelijk voor gehouden kan worden (je weet het maar nooit, in Amerika 🙄).

2️⃣In de tweede plaats omdat ik wellicht helemaal niet nodig ben. Een slecht gebit kan een tandarts behandelen, een verkeerde stand kan worden behandeld en ondersteund door een goede bekapper, etc. Als ik trouwens kan helpen bij het zoeken naar een geschikt persoon, dan doe ik dat graag! ❤

3️⃣In de derde en laatste plaats kunnen fysieke problemen OF helemaal niet aanwezig zijn (het probleem is dus emotioneel/spiritueel) OF wel aanwezig zijn, maar de fysieke blokkade is dan een terugkerend probleem en een blokkade in een ANDERE laag (emotioneel/spiritueel).

👉Bijvoorbeeld: Een paard met rugproblemen - of singelnijd, zadeldwang; geleidelijk oplopende uitingen van frustratie tijdens het benaderen of aanraken van bepaalde gebieden - dat regelmatig behandeld wordt door een osteopaat of andere behandelaar, blijft maar dezelfde fysieke problemen opnieuw en opnieuw ontwikkelen.
Blokkades in de hals, nek, schouders en de poll van het hoofd, zijn veel voorkomend bij paarden die nog in een Mentale staat van stress/onrust/powerlessness verkeren.

Het WEGNEMEN van de energetische blokkades en de gebieden vervolgens weer in balans brengen, is vaak een lang, moeilijk maar ook heel mooi proces 💞 Weer durven leren loslaten, voelen, mensen toelaten, naar de oppervlakte laten borrelen wat niet meer nodig is en er dan met slingers en sprongen ceremonieel afscheid van nemen 😂 Doei!! Dat hebben we niet meer nodig 👋🏽🚀

Veel paarden voelen zich daarom al na een eerste sessie VEEL beter 🦄🐎🥳
(🌟Zie hieronder een foto van een hèle blije Quill na haar eerste IET behandeling van mij🌟).

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De kunst is om dit "Energetische Gesprek" regelmatig te voeren, om te zien of en waar er nog "rommel" zit die ruimte mag maken voor nieuwe, betere dingen.

Bekijk hieronder een video waarbij een IET sessie doe met een paard dat al een paar mensen heeft gebeten;
Liefs, Zoë

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2/13/2020

CAN HORSES FOOL US?

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Apparently, Zeus wasn't behaving that well during a volunteer/horse training day at the rescue last weekend. Shaking his head, being pushy/rude in a physical and emotional way. It could be his teeth so the dentist checked him out, just to be sure he's not being dominant and he couldn't find anything abnormal.

Let's see if and where I can touch the areas around his face like his eyes and ears, which they're very protective of.

As you can see in the video, Zeus not just tolerates but accepts everything I try with him. We proceeded with a 45 minute liberty session to establish communication and hierarchy, without ever showing signs of dominance. He sure knows he is big and he knows how to use that in his advantage, so he tries to make himself BIG in his body, expression and energy. A lot to swallow if you're inexperienced with horse behavior, but Zeus is for sure NOT a dominant horse.
So now people ask me: "But why did he react, the way that he did? Horses aren't able to fool us. are they?". Which is right, they aren't.

Some horses will always need someone who's in charge, a leader. But if they can't seem to find that special someone in their direct surroundings, (in Zeus' case, his surroundings were the round pen and the group of volunteers who'd wanted to work with him) they will try to find it OUTSIDE of this situation. Horses that are unsure or scared can become very nervous or explosive and develop more problems like barn sourness and buddy sourness. Zeus however, is not afraid or unsure, but an older horse that knows how to influance the human with his body and posture. 

People often try to win this battle through the physical way - a fight you're obviously not going to win -, which Zeus has already figured out throughout his life, serving humans. Horses like him do not have much trouble Trusting humans, but they lack a huge amount of Respect. By being clear, honest and in balance with yourself, you can immediately set the tone for a conversation that both horse and human understand. Again, this doesn't start in the arena, or round pen, but it's starts with how you approach your horse when you grab him from his stall, halter him and walk him to his grooming spot. All little details that are EXTREMELY important.

All horses have a higher vibration/energie frequency, if you learn how to raise your own vibration and how to use this while being with your horse, you create Resonance: you create a vibration which expands into the other being's (the horse) energy field, so he'll be able to vibrate with your frequency. 

I can go on and on about this for hours, it's such a special feeling to experience. But I can say with absolute certainty, that there's nothing wrong with Zeus on a physical, emotional or spiritual level.

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Love, Zoë

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2/13/2020

freestyle riding part 5

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[HOW TO] FREESTYLE RIJDEN #5: WOORDEN TER INSPIRATIE

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Toen ik twee maanden geleden besloot om mijn progressie met JP vast te leggen en dit met jullie te delen, had ik nooit durven dromen dat we (en vooral JP zelf) zo ver gekomen zijn 💖

In Nederland heb ik spelenderwijs twee paarden kunnen rijden op enkel een neckrope. Aangekomen in Amerika kriebelde het meteen om dit ook hier uit te proberen, om mijn theorieën en methoden te testen. Ik was ervan overtuigd dat ieder paard op deze manier gereden kan worden en hier ook profijt van heeft. Ongetrainde paarden, getraumatiseerde paarden, jonge paarden. 

Ze het gevoel van vrijheid terug kunnen geven - hoe klein ook - is van groot belang voor het paard, in het gedomesticeerde leven waarin ze de mens dienen. 
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Vorige week bezocht ik een show van Alycia Burton, bekend door haar "stunts" met haar paard Goldrush; samen springen ze met alleen een neckrope over hindernissen, zelfs auto's!

Haar een keer in Real Life zien stond stiekem wel op mijn Paarden Bucket List. Ze is niet alleen succesvol in het rehabiliteren van getraumatiseerde paarden, ze is ook Motivational Speaker en organiseert Youth Camps. Een soort ponykamp voor jonge ruiters, waarin ze leren meer zelfvertrouwen te creëren en er aandacht is voor pesten en mentale gezondheid. 

Het laatste halfuur van de avond bestond uit een speech, gericht aan voornamelijk de jongere toeschouwers maar ook ik heb ademloos zitten luisteren naar haar verhaal. Hoe moeilijk het is om op te groeien en weinig te hebben, terwijl je wel veel zou willen... Hoe makkelijk het is om verleid te worden en jezelf en je motivatie te verliezen in de wereld van Social Media, waarin het lijkt alsof iedereen haar dromen waarmaakt behalve jij. 

Ik heb regelmatig meegemaakt hoe harteloos mensen in de paardenwereld kunnen zijn. Hoe ze alles dat je doet kunnen laten klinken alsof het niets is, alsof je niet goed genoeg bent.

Je buitengesloten voelen is naar gevoel, instinctief horen hier allerlei gevoelens van ongemak bij, want ook de mens is een kuddedier en buitensluiting betekent een kleinere kans op overleving. Dit overlevingsinstinct is dus nog altijd levendig aanwezig bij niet alleen onze dieren, maar ook bij ons. 

Extreme pogingen doen om "erbij te horen" wordt voor jonge ruiters steeds normaler. Maar wat is "erbij horen"? En wat moet je ervoor opgeven?


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Het is makkelijk oordelen, over een ander zijn/haar succes en prestaties, als we constant overspoeld worden door prikkels van buitenaf die ons het gevoel van falen geven. We denken al snel dat een ander alles heeft, dat het voor de ander op de een of andere manier makkelijker is. 

Ook ik ken dit gevoel. 

Vandaag de dag sta ik altijd bewust met een dankbaar gevoel op. Dankbaar voor wat ik heb, dankbaar voor waar ik ben en voor wie ik ben. En ja, zelfs dankbaar voor al het bloed, zweet en tranen dat de afgelopen jaren- achter de schermen - rijkelijk gevloeid heeft. 

Als jong meisje hoorde ik nergens bij - en ik denk vandaag de dag nog steeds niet. Op de vraag "Rijd je Engels, of Western?" kan ik bijvoorbeeld geen antwoord geven. Dan voel ik me soms een buitenbeentje, het zwarte schaap. 

"Mijn" manier van werken verder ontwikkelen in Amerika en dit delen met anderen in de vorm van les geven en trainen, kwam met een gevoel van verantwoordelijkheid. Reflecterend op de afgelopen twee jaar, zie ik dat mensen - en voornamelijk de jongere ruiters - mij zien als volwassene, als lerares, als voorbeeld. Ik kreeg het daar ENORM benauwd van. Wat als ik faal, wat denken ze dan van mij? Wat als we elkaars visie niet delen, scheiden dan onze wegen? Wat als mijn theorieën helemaal niet kloppen, straks maak ik er een POTJE VAN!!! 

Inmiddels zijn we een half jaar verder en kan ik weer normaal ademhalen
😂 Mijn studenten zijn nog altijd even blij om me te zien en mijn gevoel van verantwoordelijkheid tegenover hen groeit met elke les. Hun vertrouwen in mij gaf me een enorm gevoel van druk, waar dat nu heeft plaats gemaakt voor dankbaarheid en motivatie om dit te blijven doen.
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Tijdens het schrijven van de Freestyle blogs ontving ik van lezers zulke gave, lieve berichten, dat ik het zelfs DAAR even benauwd van kreeg 😂😂

Een reactie van iemand die ik totaal niet ken bracht me echt even terug op Aarde. Ik was me ineens bewust van het feit van al die mensen achter hun laptop of telefoon, die een foto van mij voorbij zien komen en denken "Zij leeft mijn droomleven!" Die woorden zijn dagen blijven hangen, niet wetende wat ik ermee moest bleef ik het maar herhalend afspelen in mijn hoofd. 

Na het horen van Alycia's speech, realiseerde ik me dat ik - hier, in Amerika - al door meer en meer gelijkgestemde mensen omringd ben dan ik had gedacht. Waar het in Nederland altijd een strijd was om een passend hokje te vinden, kijkt niemand er hier van op dat ik een rijbroek met westernlaarzen draag 
😜

Na bijna twee jaar bij de rescue weten mensen inmiddels wat ik doe, voornamelijk met JP en nu dus onze hoofdstelloze-skills 💪wat mij mijn instructie-job gebracht heeft, begin dit jaar. Alles loopt zoals het moet 🌟
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Nu ik me bewust ben van het feit dat ik in staat ben een andere manier van werken met paarden kan delen met en leren aan anderen, is het gevoel van verantwoordelijkheid mijn grootste bron van motivatie geworden. 

En mijn eerste en meest belangrijke les aan iedereen is: Als IK het kan, kan JIJ het ook. 


Het laatste wat ik wil is iemand ontmoedigen, denken dat doordat IK alles mee heb IK wel kan doen wat ik doen. 


Als je mij (persoonlijk) niet kent, zou ik je dit graag nog willen meegeven: Heb vertrouwen in en respect voor de kwaliteiten en passies van ieder individu en het proces van het ontwikkelen van die kwaliteiten. Je leven leiden hoort niet te voelen als een wedstrijd, maar als een persoonlijke reis vol ervaringen en onverwachte wendingen die je uiteindelijk kunnen brengen naar waar je maar wilt. Voel je niet "minder" wanneer je om hulp vraagt en voel je niet "meer" wanneer je hulp aanbiedt.

We leren allemaal op ons eigen tempo, op onze eigen manier. 


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Dit was mijn (voorlopig) laatste Freestyle Blog! 


​Liefs, Zoë & JP

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2/12/2020

freestyle riding part 4

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Klik hier voor Nederlands

[HOW TO] FREESTYLE RIDING | PART FOUR: CONFIDENCE BUILDING

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I am SO in love with this picture! Don't need to explain why, right? So let's talk about the adventure we had, two weeks ago in the arena.
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This time, I decided to grab her with not a halter - but the Neck Rein instead. Look at how both JP and Luther are interested in me, with JP even walking up to me (like she usually does, but this is a great picture of that moment!).
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Walking with me to the grooming spot with again, only the Neck Rein. She's chewing and licking right when this photo was taken and look at how low her head is, her eyes are softly closed and her ears still back from where I was rubbing her, which she was totally fine with. 

All good signs, she showed me her calm and motivated self, instead of a nervous, jumpy bambi. While grooming her, I sometimes tie her to the post or let her graze or roam around or stand still. Basically, she KNOWS what I want from her so if I kind of play a little with everything and then come back to standing still every now and then.
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So this is her grooming area, a square block right between the grooming post and her stall. When she roams free while I'm grooming her/switching brushes/getting tack, she knows she has to stay in this square (or come visit me in the tack room :').

Notice how the Neck Rein has dropped down to her ears because she lowered her head to graze on some grass. I've explained in the first blog why it's important to let them experience this, so here's JP grazing and not giving a damn about that rope thing hanging there. ​
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Walking towards the round pen together, this used to be a tricky thing; She had a hard time leaving her 'friends' in the back behind and she made a habit out of 'attacking' all other horses she came across while walking to the arena or round pen. 

When there's no one else around, working or holding a horse, I flip my reins over her saddle (since they're long enough for her to reach for the ground and she won't hurt herself if she steps on  them) and just let her follow me. 

After a simple groundwork session in liberty (move their feet forwards, backwards, left and right) we went back to relaxation and some energy work to lower our vibration. ​
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When getting in the saddle, I ask all horses to tip their nose towards me before and during I mount. When I have both feet in the stirrups, I release and let them relax and maybe stretch a little bit before preparing them for the next move. 

Walking away while mounting is something JP ALSO used to do, it was a hell of a job to get her to calm down and agree with you with a snaffle/bit, but so far - with no bit - I haven't experienced her taking off yet. Even without reins she bents her neck and offers her head while I safely get on her. 


We walked around the round pen together, backing up and trotting /jogging away. She even offered canter-walk transitions which is hard work for her so I praised her for her effort and then we played with speeding up and slowing down in the canter (something she LOVES). 
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I love how soft her whole look is, this photo is taken right when I praise her for.. well I don't really remember since I praise her A LOT, so never mind! But still, just look at her proud and happy vibe!

With this energy/in this flow, we continued our way towards the arena, where - SURPRISE - the owner of the rescue showed up with one of his horses to work with. He asked if I was okay with sharing the arena with him. I figured, "Why Not?". I felt like our foundation was solid enough to handle this sudden change of events and since everything was going really well so far, why not just go for it? NO 'trying', it's DO or DON'T.

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Remember, JP is not a big fan of other horses so this was a BIG test for the both of us;
- Can I convince her to stay with me, rather than pick a fight with the other mare?
- Can I keep both our energies/vibrations low enough to let her easily flow from right- to left brain but high enough to keep her engaged and motivated so she's still able to learn and absorb everything?


Of course, the reins didn't come off until I had a conversation with JP about the far end of the arena being 'our space' and the first square belonging to the other horse and human. The owner of the ranch, working with his horse, had a stick in his hand that has a plastic flag on the end of it. He swung it around, hit the barrels or the ground with it to desensitize his horse. I just steered JP a little bit away from them, so she SPOOKED!! Just a second, then she turned around to see what the HAY that was! Right at that time the scary plastic thing moved again, so she began to turn away from it and try to trot away. 
Instead, I reminded her of some things;
- if you ever feel like something's wrong, turn to me
- if you ever feel like you're in danger, turn to me
- not all energy frequencies are for you (JP's so sensitive, she's like a radio that's constantly picking up every frequency and energy that comes with it)

We walked in a small square near the other horse (I kept disengaging her hindquarters when she tried to trot away) and I kept 'telling' her "It's not for you. It's not for you. It's not for you." All while I was riding her like I didn't even see the other horse, and the vibe she/they we're giving off. I kept asking her the same thing, just calm around and walk with me, it's not for you. It amazed me how quickly she just settled down, like she remembered. She went like "Oh.... yeah... right." and then we walked out of our square and proceeded our calm walk around the right half of the arena. 
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Such a happy girl!! With the reins still on, I decided to 'test' all gaits in both directions and frequently asked for back-ups and stops. 

She did everything while maintaining a happy and focused (on the camera, lol) face! ​

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The turn towards the inside of the arena, to stay on our side of the arena.
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So now we're trotting without reins, and will you look at that! She's spotted the camera again! ​
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Unfortunately, we've only managed to capture the moment AFTER, but a few seconds before this picture was taken, things almost went South. 

I asked for a canter, which she did perfectly. And then I felt her speeding up (I thought towards the other horse) so I IMMEDIATELY asked for a Neck Rein Stop. Or whatever I'm supposed to call it now. But the fun thing is, she responded! In the picture above you still see the dust clouds of the sudden turn and stop she did and me leaning forward because I got almost thrown out of the saddle. This girl can STOP! 

So, knowing that hitting the brakes still works, I decided to just speed up and GO for it!! Watch below:
Of course I am still so proud of her, she came a long way from being  a rescue/anxious/neglected/mistreated/misunderstood/whatever-kind-of-lable-horse, to becoming a balanced, relaxed and happy horse. 

I'm well aware of the bumpy road that's still ahead of us, so don't expect AMAZING stories from now on. Well, you can hope a little, of course! As do we. But the road to succes/healing/reaching your goals/dreams is not linear. It's a road you take, paving a path together and finding out what works for you. 

Setbacks can be frustrating, but it gives you time and space to break things down and see if there's any piece of the puzzle missing. Taking this road with JP has offered me a lot of insights about myself, about my life, the people in it and what I want. I can't convince her (or anyone, for that matter) to feel safe and respected in my presence. I can't force her to relax if I'm the one that's breathing anxiously around her. 

Horses that have been mistreated (or worse) can have a lot of negative triggers, that will immediately send them back to that state of mind where they behave in the exact same way as when they first came to the rescue/new owners.
Allowing them to explore the World of Relaxation that's out there, giving them time and space to do it on their own (with you there to guide them through it), unlocks all typical signs of Left Brain thinking like licking, chewing, yawning, blinking, rolling with their eyes, peeing, sighing. Signs that they're able to think, and rationalize instead of running away and flee.

Try to play with it on your own!! You can introduce them to something new and let them figure out what it means. You can place a barrel or other new object in the arena and see if you can get your horse to sniff it - touch it - investigate it - flip it over - roll it - you name it!

Don't force your horse to do anything, Think of it like you're having a decent conversation with someone, without using words and you'd like them to get comfortable around the barrel/object. The more comfortable they can get, the better! If you notice anxious, nervous or unsure behavior, try to work from a farther distance to get you and your horse more comfortable around/with the new object/situation. 
When your horse settles down, you can slowly and gradually close in on the object by making your circles smaller or by using approach and retreat. 

See what works for the both of you!


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Read "Freestyle Riding Part Five"

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2/12/2020

Freestyle riding part 3

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Klik hier voor Nederlands

FREESTYLE RIDING  #3
1ST TIME IN THE ARENA + CONFIDENCE BUILDING

​**BEKIJK HET FILMPJE HIERONDER EN/OF SCROLL VERDER EN LEES OVER ONZE EERSTE KEER ZONDER HOOFDSTEL IN DE RIJBAK!**

VIDEO LENGTE: 5.19 MINUTEN
We begonnen zoals altijd eerst in de roundpen (na een uitgebreide poetssessie, elk paard verhaart op het moment gigantisch!) om te zien hoe haar mindset die dag was. Er was weer veeeel wind dus we bleven een tijdje bij het zeil dat het hooi bedekt staan en deden niets anders dan ontspannen. Ze deed het zo goed 🙌
Ze was niet alleen heel relaxed en blij maar ook erg geïnteresseerd in wat ik voor ons gepland had die dag.

Zoals je in de video kunt zien kon ze het NIET laten om zelf even te checken of de camera wel goed staat 😂

We waren al vrij snel in de rijbak, ik stapte op en we begonnen met wat basisdingetjes (met de teugels er nog aan én met Neck Rein en Rope). Met een stemcommando stapten we weg en al na een paar minuten voelde het goed om de teugels weg te halen. Ze reageerde goed op zowel de Neck Rein en Neck Rope dus waarom niet?

Het eerste dat ik van haar vroeg zodra de teugels weg waren, was achteruit gaan. Gewoon om eens met iets anders dan voorwaarts te beginnen (kijk hoe goed haar back-up wordt in de video!😍)
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JP verveelde zich zoals gewoonlijk behoorlijk snel, dus besloten we te draven na ongeveer twee minuten stappen. Aangezien ze extreem gevoelig is voor mijn zit en hulpen probeer ik voornamelijk mijn stem en Neck Rein te gebruiken totdat ze wat minder explosief is wanneer ik mijn zit actief gebruik.

Ik wilde zooo graag galopperen... maar ik had mezelf die ochtend streng toegesproken dat het nog te vroeg is. Tot ik eenmaal ronddraafde en ineens in galop zat 😅😂

Eerst zorgde ik ervoor dat JP nog wist wat "WHOA" betekent: stop met bewegen, maakt niet uit hoe hard we gaan. Het is dus niet hetzelfde als langzamer gaan of een gang lager gaan en het is van belang dat het paard dit begrijpt. Gelukkig begreep JP nog steeds wat de bedoeling was en haar reactie later (kauwen en likken) voelde voor mij ook goed. We vervolgden onze weg naar een ontspannen draf, dit keer maakte ik de cirkel steeds iets kleiner zodat het voor haar makkelijker is om in de juiste galop aan te springen. Ze reageerde opnieuw snel en met een nog altijd ontspannen vibe en bood zelf aan de cirkel kleiner te maken. Best moeilijk voor haar, maar ik accepteerde wat ze aanbood en samen werkten we even aan gebalanceerd galopperen in een kleine cirkel.

Al snel opende ik de cirkel weer en vroeg direct om een STOP; ze maakte een vloeiende overgang van galop naar stap en uiteindelijk stilsta
nd 🎉
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Hiermee eindigden we onze sessie. Later die week werkten we aan wat zelfvertrouwen kweken, bekijk het filmpje hieronder!


Video lengte: 4.33 minuten
Het waaide ALWEER heel erg hard en er lag overal zeil, om hooi en andere dingen te beschermen. Gelukkig voor ons lagen er nog objecten in de rijbak (zoals balken, barrels en dus het gevreesde zeil). Hershey - de merrie in de stal grenzend aan de rijbak, is nieuw en heeft drie jaar in een stal gestaan voor ze hier kwam - heeft een hekel aan andere paarden, net als JP. Voordat we dus begonnen met rijden wilde ik eerst kijken of we een 'normaal gesprek' konden voeren, in de buurt van Hershey!

Het zeil dat verderop lag vond JP een stuk interessanter, ze maakte zich in het begin even groot maar volgde mij over het zeil. We benaderde het object vanaf verschillende richtingen en in verschillende gangen. Ik liet haar op het zeil stoppen en achteruit gaan en zorgde dat ik er zeker van was dat ze ontspannen en zelfverzekerd was en dat wanneer ze dat niet is, ze weet naar wie ze moet komen. Naar mij dus 😁

Tot zo ver - in onze hoofdstelloze reis - is er nog niet één moment geweest waar JP me heeft teleurgesteld. Al na ongeveer een kwartiertje stapte ik op en vroeg om achterwaarts te gaan (alweer, Perfect!). Tijdens de laatste keer in de rijbak aaide ik haar op haar rug, achter het zadel waardoor ze even schrok. In deze video zie je hoe ik dit opnieuw doe, haar aanraak en kriebel en zacht klopjes geef maar dit keer als beloning! Ze legde al snel de link en is al een stuk minder sensitief als het gaat om aanrakingen op bepaalde plekken van haar lijf, tijdens het rijden.

Opnieuw naar het zeil. We stapten rond en toen over het zeil, we draafden en stopten in het midden. Eén van de vrijwilligster stond de gehele sessie te kijken en in het midden van de video zie je ons even kletsen. Ze vroeg zich af of ik nou de teugels of de Neck Rein/Rope gebruikte. We kletsten even verder over wat ik precies aan het doen was, ik hemelde JP zo op dat ik dacht: 'waarom haal ik de teugels èn het halster er niet gewoon allebei af?'.... voor de eerste keer!

JP wachtte geduldig tot ik haar halster af had en verderop had neergelegd. Ze stapte rustig weg zodra ik het teken gaf en gingen eerst weer richting het zeil. Vervolgens oefenden we overgangen om te zien hoe het met haar rem gesteld was.

Zodra ze ontspannen, in balans en ritmisch door de bak draafde, vroeg ik om galop. Haar reactie is zo enorm lief, ik kan het niet verwoorden maar ze houdt haar hoofd scheef en maakt een soort Bambi-huppeltjes voordat ze haar grote sprongen maakt.

Op een gegeven moment was ze er heilig!! van overtuigd dat ik haar vroeg om te stoppen (ik wist van niks), ik zag het niet aankomen dus er was even wat miscommunicatie 😅 We probeerden het nog een keer, nadat we eerst weer over het zeil waren gedraafd en alles ging weer perfect totdat... nou ja, hoe noem je dit:
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Bekijk de video om haar 'huppeltjes' te zien!
💖💖Ze was ZO blij, ze doet dit wel eens in de rijbak als ze met paarden speelt waar ze bevriend mee is, maar nog nooit onder het zadel.

Ik heb de filmpjes tientallen keren bekeken, om er zeker van te zijn dat het geen uiting van frustratie/ongemak/dominantie is. Dit kan bij sommige paarden het geval zijn, maar in het geval van JP denk ik niet dat er sprake is van een van bovenstaande dingen.

Ondanks haar gekke scheve hoofdje zijn we gewoon in staat om verder te gaan met wat ik van haar vroeg, in de video zie je dat ik haar ook direct vraag om een galop wat ze perfect doet.

Dit keer voelde ze een stuk kalmer en dat werkt natuurlijk door op mij, ik voelde me meer in controle. Ik liet haar versnellen - vindt ze geweldig! - zodra ik voelde dat ze het zelf al bijna aanbood en vroeg om weer terug te komen naar draf en stap. Als beloning zadelde ik haar af zodat ze even lekker kon rollen. Normaalgesproken loopt ze direct naar een lekker plekje en kan ze uitgebreid genieten van een goede scrub 😎 tot ik haar roep en het tijd is om terug te gaan naar stal.

Zo enorm lief om te zien hoe ze dit keer besloot bij mij te blijven, of bij de vrijwilligster die nog altijd bij het hek stond. Ik ruimde ondertussen de rijbak op terwijl haar ogen me bijna geen moment loslieten, alsof ze zich afvroeg of ik haar nog nodig zou hebben.

Het voelde bijzonder en fijn om te merken dat ze nog steeds interesse had in mij en wat ik aan het doen was, zelfs toen het duidelijk was dat we klaar waren voor die dag. 




​VERVOLG: HET VERBETEREN VAN (ZELF)VERTROUWEN

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2/12/2020

Freestyle riding part 2

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FREESTYLE RIDING #2
FOLLOW THE HORSE, NOT THE METHOD

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Do you know that feeling, when you see something so incredibly awesome, beautiful and inspiring, but somehow out of reach? You start questioning yourself and tell yourself that it's not for you. What if your curiosity could lead you to your passion? When I pursued my curiosity, my passion flowed and unfold naturally and lead me towards the feeling of Freedom.
For me, and for the Horse.

So, with that being said, let me show what the first week of our Freestyle Journey
​looked like! 

Because our level of liberty/groundwork/playing with chi/energy is already at a high level, I simply started riding her as soon as we had a saddle that fit her. She already knows the cavesson from groundwork stuff, so I introduced this as a riding halter a while ago. She had absolutely no problem with the transition, although I gave her some extra time to get comfortable with it, just to be sure.

I started in the round-pen, since that is the place we're both very comfortable and where we've spent a lot of time together.
​
That's when I noticed her old 'bad' behavior was starting to show again, in the form of being impatient. When JP gets impatient, or bored, she used to leave the 'conversation' and do something of her own like sprinting or crow hopping. Naturally I wanted to prevent that behavior from taking over again, so decided to speed things up (after I made sure she was completely relaxed and up for it). While doing that I reminded her of the relaxing work that we did, helping her to understand that waiting can be a reward too.

This worked like a charm, we practiced linking all groundwork and liberty voice commands to seat cues and after just two rides of 20 minutes I introduced the Neck Rope. When I was absolutely sure she knew the One Rein Stop bitless, responded to my cues and was accepting the Neck Rope, we went 'Trail Ride Praciticing" just walking around the property of the ranch, passing tarps, machinery, trailers, other horses, etc. Again, I just wanted her to relax and have a good time with me. Every now and then I let her graze (because NOW is the time!! We usually don't have grass growing anywhere) and then I would let her know we were taking off again and she responded politely by taking one more chew (she knows she can have one more after I've let her know we're leaving) and walking off. 
She was in heat that day, so (as always) she was extremely loud and mean towards other mares. Usually her deep-rooted instincts take over and she kind of forgets that I'm still on her. So before I even got on her, I walked with her to work on staying with the conversation instead of being rude and give in to your womanly urges (lol). 

Watch what our little stroll looked like in the video below
When we reached the point where she was feeling confident and relaxed while being responsive towards me, it was time to quit. Later that week we practiced the same thing, we trotted a little and as a reward, she got a refreshing shower afterwards.

The next session - two or three days later - I saddled her for a short, basic session in the round pen. Everything went perfect, so I introduced the Neck Ring; a more stiff rein made out of lariat rope and adjustable (of course, mine is STUCK!, so still working on that). I bought it two years ago, after I read an article by Linda Tellington-Jones (from the 'TTouch' method) that made a lot of sense. They're like trainingwheels, for horses that need a little something in-between to help translate the conversation from bridle, to neckrope (and eventually, maybe, to nothing). I find them really useful for asking the horse to turn or bend, when they're responding to the Neck Rein you can basically translate everything to the Neck Rope (with lighter, smaller cues).

I let her walk around, saddled and with the Neck Rope ánd the Neck Rein, I let her graze and as expected she got a little bit spooked when the Rein softly dropped down her neck, towards her ears. We played with that and after about three minutes she didn't even care if they dropped down on her ears. 

Fast forward another three days, and it was time for our first ride with just the Neck Rope. Again, in the round-pen and after a short groundwork session to get into the same flow. 
As soon as I got on her, I felt her waiting for the next question. She gave me that feeling the whole ride, responding to every cue even when I only used the Neck Rope. So I simply couldn't resist to clip off my reins and just go for it!

We practiced transitions and I wanted to make sure she knows "Whoa", before I was going to take her to the arena next time. 


*Watch our two sessions in the round-pen with the Neck Rope

​Next time: Our first bridleless ride in the arena!

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2/12/2020

Freestyle Riding Part 1

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[HOW TO] START RIDING WITHOUT A BRIDLE | PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

Since my first freestyle/neckrope/bridleless ride in The Netherlands back in 2015, I've been dying to have this connection with another horse (since unfortunately, my own horse died three months after I came to CA).  I just didn't realize how hard it would be, to open up to a potential new horse. 
​

​Of course, riding freestyle in California was something I immediately set my mind to when I came here. But it was a lot harder than I thought! 

I work with lots of different horses, which makes it a challenge to find the time and energy to work on your own stuff with a horse. Luckily, the owners of the rescue offered me to pick any horse I liked, to call "my own" for as long as I'm around. When my own horse died just a month after I started volunteering, it was a bit upsetting and uncomfortable for me to open up to a possible new horse. 

As always, the Universe was a few steps ahead of me and one day - when we went for an unexpected trail ride - the owner of the rescue put me on JP. 
​

*The Few Things I Knew About JP At That Time*
- JP (Jaguar Paw)
- A mare, red (oh god)
- One of the first horses to come to the rescue
- Stunning, different
- Not up for adoption because she is a bit 'crazy' 
- Acts weird when ridden, so nobody rides her (
physically​ healthy)
I trust the owner of the rescue completely, if he says a horse is safe then it's safe. But I do remember me asking him "so... is it's safe to ride HER?". He assured me she's just a bit weird but wouldn't bolt. He was curious about her behavior on a trail ride, and since I don't have a problem with being a test-dummy, I saddled JP and off we went. 

It was 45 minutes of HELL and TERROR. Every sound, movement or smell would set her off, jumping up and down, prancing, screaming. She could have done a lot worse if it wasn't for the One Rein Stop, the emergency brake that probably saved my life last year. Anyway, after that 45 minutes of horror, I was Madly In Love. 
​​
The fact that we got home safe and that I didn't feel uncomfortable or scared on her, made me feel like we could get somewhere. We fitted her a saddle and I took her to my Parelli lessons, in Tehachapi. One of the first things she needed to learn was patience. Her previous owner(s) probably let her get away with lots of things, so during our first lesson we all experienced first-hand a pissed-off red mare. While I was still on her, she got really upset about not getting what she wanted (walk away instead of just relax and stand still) and attacked the fence with her front feet. The result: a destroyed board and my instructor who yelled from a distance: 'What the hell happened to my board?! '
Whoops.
We experienced these "tamper tantrums" a lot more over the following months, but eventually she stopped arguing and tolerated me riding her. Of course 'tolerating' is not enough, I needed her to accept me. We got to a high level of liberty pretty quick, so as long as I didn't try to ride her we we're definitely bonding and creating something.

Her body was changing throughout this process many times, so we needed to switch saddles so often, we ended up with nothing. We do have bareback pads, but that would have probably meant flying lessons for me, and JP getting away with stuff again. So we went back to liberty, groundwork, walking outside.

After I went through some stuff of my own and accepted the fact that my own horse is no longer with me, I needed to get some time off and relax. When I came back after a few months, JP was upset and did not want me to touch her or even come near her. So would just hang out with her, clean her stall and feed her strains of grass. When we eventually got back to work again, the only focus I had for the both of us was 'relax'. We would walk around the arena together, breathe together, daydream together. I would groom her and watch her close her eyes, softly to the point where she just looked so happy and peaceful. I stopped at that moment, every time we were together, walk her back to her stall and say goodbye.  After a while, we were back at doing liberty, like we'd never stopped. 
She even helped me with other horses, to get them emotionally opened up again. ​

So you might say that this is just crazy-talk, it cannot be scientifically proven, etc. but to me the truth is always in the horse. Just two months after I started working with her again, this is how we ride today:

​
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Thank you for reading this first part of our journey, that will - hopefully - lead to more beautiful adventures!

Love, Zoë & JP

​Read "Freestyle Riding Part Two"

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2/12/2020

Why you should smile, while working with your horse

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The other day I was with a girl and her horse, a young mare that’s had a lot of bad stuff happen to her. If she’d be a human, she would be a messed-up 20 year old with a lot of emotional and physical scars and no one to turn to. When her owners try to make physical contact, she bites. Probably because she feels threatened, but it’s something that could easily escalate into something worse.

So far, this little mare has only known the downside of being sensitive. The abuse she went through turned her into this shy but explosive horse that just didn’t know how to calm down. Because of this behavior, the rest of the herd wouldn’t accept her. She ran around frantically, in the pasture, in the round-pen even in circles around the herd. Basically, she was making it really hard for herself to accept the new situation because she’d only be exposed to new bad situations, and even worse people.
 
When I entered the round-pen, I immediately saw all the typical signs of a young, sensitive mare that has had a lot of bad stuff happen to her. She did not want to make any contact, avoided me and everything I did, and did not want to stay close.
Even though this is a horse that bites, I felt more comfortable working on the Trust part first. With horses that are more intrusive or constantly in your space – even when uninvited – I start with working on the Respect part first.
 
I decided a simple conversation would be enough for one session.
The moment the halter came off, she started circling around me in the round-pen with her head high and away from me. After a few minutes I managed to bring her energy down towards my level and started walking beside her, in calm circles around the fence. When she started to build-up her energy and/or started trotting, I moved away to give her more space until she was walking calmly again. Then I started walking towards her again, and at that point she became very interested in me because she knew we we’re figuring stuff out. Another thing I did every time I approached her, was smile!
 
Smiling actually tricks your brain into feeling happy, which leads to a release of dopamine and seratonin, both easily picked up by a horse.

 
Dr. Isha Gupta - neurologist from IGEA Brain and Spine – explains;
"a smile spurs a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing certain hormones including dopamine and serotonin. “Dopamine increases our feelings of happiness. Serotonin release is associated with reduced stress. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression and aggression”.
​

 
This is not only noticeable by us when it happens, a dog for instance can actually smell hormones like dopamine and serotonin. A horse can sense these same things too, maybe not by smelling, but simply by feeling. So when they notice someone in their presence with a calm but assertive energy, they are more likely interested in getting to know you. An important first step for any horse.

​So now that you know this, try and see for yourself just how quickly things can change between you and a horse that’s not really willing/ready to connect.
​
It certainly worked with this little mare. After an hour or so, she no longer looked angry at us or argued or ran away. She chose to stay, walk beside us and even offered her head to be touched. All while staying calm and responsive.
 
Needless to say, we ended on (more than) a good note. Just remember, to keep on smiling!  


Love, Zoë

↓*Watch one of my inspirational video's with Girl and see her responses to my energy*↓

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2/12/2020

What is Natural Horsemanship?

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"Natural Horsemanship is doing what's best for the horse,
​instead of doing what's best for you."
​
My vision and beliefs:
When I started working with horses, I was inspired by the old masters like Ray Hunt, Mark Rashid and Buck Brannaman. Their way of not "working" - but connecting with their horses felt so pure and true, I could feel it in my bones. I thought; 'This is what I want to learn, this is what I will pursue.' Now, over 10 years later, I have a passion. To help those who otherwise cannot be heard, to give them a voice and give them their lives back. 

​


Setting yourself up for succes or failure

Horses are too spiritual and too pure to just grab them, hop on their backs and ask for something without ever giving anything in return, like partnership, comfort, respect and an appropriate environment to live in. Somehow, along the way, we've lost our ability to emphatize, to put someone else's needs before our own. We do this when we have children, we make the best choices possible and put our own lives on hold, just to support them. So why not with horses? 


When you're setting goals, or having dreams for your horse, how long does it take you to get to the things that really matter? It's not about the lessons, your tack, your fancy outfit and brand new trailer. It's about making sure your horse is willing and able to do the things you ask from him. Not afraid of the consequences when he fails, but asking for guidance when things get tough. Like true partners. 





Working & living with horses: More than our eyes can see

Over the years, while working with all kinds of horses in The Netherlands and USA, I have tested my theories (yes, I have many!) about partnership as the main ingredient during my rehabilitation program. These horses all had different backgrounds, like racehorses, cutting horses, hunter jumpers, reining horses, warmbloods, coldbloods, thoroughbreds. All with often one thing in common: a complicated and heart-breaking past, which has made them either angry at - or afraid of - people.


Just physical training and care aren't the right tools for these horses. They'll need much more support and guidance on an emotional and spiritual level. Like humans and other animals, horses have several energy fields. Humans have four (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual), horses have three: physical, emotional and spiritual. Each layer has a cellular memory, in which all kinds of impressions are being stored during their lives. 


The physical layer is their body, with the cellular memory of wounds, trauma and disease. 
The emotional layer exists a little outside the body, and carries feelings, emotions and emotional trauma.
The spiritual layer is the most distant, with humans this is the layer that carries our karmic lessons and trauma we're carrying from a life we've lived before. Since horses don't carry anything with them from past lives, this layer represents the Spirit itself, the horse's gift to the world. It's the horse in his highest, purest form.



As you can see, horses do not have a mental layer. So why is that? 
Horses are not able to have negative thoughts or feelings about themselves, or limitative thoughts. They don't hold grudges, they just forgive and let go. However. Horses àre able to carry guilt, fear, all empathetically taken on from the humans it serves. Which means that when you're buying a new horse, they might have some energy blockages due to taking over the emotions from their previous owner(s). Since horses, like most animals, are more grounded than us humans, they are masters in empathetically taking on a humans emotion and then release and clear it very quickly. But if the horse's own needs aren't met, like lack of interaction with other horses, the wrong diet or even neglect/abuse, it gets harder and harder to channel all that (negative) energy. At this point, you'll have a horse that is (either) physically, emotionally or spiritually out of balance. These horses always show typical behavior like cribbing, biting, bolting, shoving, not cooperating, low energy, rearing, bucking or sometimes even attacking. 


​


Integrated Energy Therapy

A great tool (for me) while working with these types of horses, is Integrated Energy Therapy (IET). This is a beautiful and safe way (since I don't necessarily need to be near the horse)to get the energy in their cellular memories flowing again. 

For example, a little insight in IET from one of my study books:

"The cellular memory in the area of the throat and lungs is where feelings of shame about self-expression are suppressed. There is a great deal of strength in the throat center of a horse. This is conveyed by the archetypal image of the horse standing very proud and regal, with no sense of pride or boastfulness. Horses have a tremendous ability to be expressive and spontaneous. They have a very large range of expression."
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"Energy can be suppressed into the horse's throat center, when a horse chooses to become "domesticated" so that it can enter into the path of service to humans. Some of the energy of a horse's wild spirit is suppressed into the throat center. When the horse is not serving humans and is allowed to be free, this spirit can flow through the cellular memory of the throat center and the horse's true spirited nature will be expressed. 

Typical causes for energy blockage:
- Living under conditions where the horse's true spirit cannot be periodically expressed. 
- Shame empathetically taken on from the humans it serves."
By Energizing and Integrating the horse's cellular memories, we are able to imprint and restore the right energy that allows the horse to remain strong and true. To me, an essential part of working with horses. 


"The Human possesses the one thing that means more to the horse than anything in the world, and that is peace and comfort." - Buck Brannaman 
​

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2/12/2020

The Primal relationship between Horse and Human

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Horses and humans have a natural-established prey/predator relationship. With our eyes being closer together and our ears flat against the side of our head, a horse naturally sees us as “predator” in hunting position and ready to attack. Understanding this deep rooted relationship will give you an insight into how important body language and energy actually is.


​So we need to tell the horse we’re not going to eat them. We are a friend. But the horse’s language is not through words, but by using body language and altering their energy. Natural Horsemanship is realizing that the horse’s world evolves around this. So instead of words, we use body language to tell them we’re not the enemy.
 
Establishing the leadership role is no joke and if you only “discipline”, “train” or work with your horse when riding or doing groundwork, you could easily end up in trouble.
I know a lot of horses who are calm and response when in the arena, but have very rude manners all around like bolting on trails or pulling on the halter, trying to walk off while you’re mounting. It’s like they’re constantly nervous, no wonder because nobody ever stepped in as leader.
 
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Only riding or training your horse instead of working on your relationship, will cause your horse to become rude and even dangerous
So now the horse is unsure and becomes worried about the safety of its herd (even if it’s just the two of you). The leadership position is not up for grabs and it’s not something you can just learn, or train. It’s something you have to earn, as with anything that’s worth the effort.
 
It begins when you’re thinking about your horse, getting ready to grab him for a ride and drive over to the ranch. Sounds silly? That’s where knowledge about primal relationships, body language and energy work comes in. Again, no joke!
 
A simple example: I know a woman, who rescued a horse and went out every morning to grab him and go for a ride. Some days, the horse was fine, and they had a fun trail ride. But other days, she’d freak out as soon as the woman touched her or even came close. Long story short: turns out that horses can smell if you’ve eaten meat and (naturally!) freak out, because of their instinct. So becoming a vegetarian actually solved this uncommon problem for this horse owner.
 
Interesting, right? Now, what if you’re stressed or angry or sad because of something that happened with work or your family. You think a trail ride would help clear your mind, so with a head filled with worries you head towards your horse, who is peacefully grazing. Until he sees you coming, looks up and starts running in the opposite direction. Sounds familiar?
“Scared of the halter” is what some people call it, or a fight over dominance, maybe fear towards humans. But in a lot of cases, it’s not the horse OR the tool: It’s YOU.
 
A horse is not going on a trail ride (let alone leave the safety of home) if the supposed leader seems worried or nervous or just not sure! Some horses are not that sensitive, or they already have established a balanced relationship with their human.

But even then your relationship has to have deep roots and a solid foundation for your horse to understand that even though you’re not at your best, you will still be a good leader, a great friend and an even better partner. The only way to get there, is to constantly challenge yoursel to be better.

​You're only in competition with yourself, to grow and learn together with your horse so that when the time comes when you have to take your place as leader, it will only makes sense to the horse to fully accept. 

Love, Zoë

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2/12/2020

Correct het eerste contact maken

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Als ik les geef, beginnen we zelden met rijden. We beginnen vaak met grondwerk, kennismaken met lichaamstaal en energie. Hoe communiceren paarden met elkaar?

De eerste les van mijn nieuwe client begint vandaag daarom midden in de kudde paarden. Ik vertel over het paard (waar we vandaag mee werken) als individu en als dier; als paard.
 
Mensen willen graag voelen, aanraken en aaien. Zo ook met paarden. Maar voordat een mens in staat is een vreemd paard genegenheid te geven in de vorm van een aai, moet het eerste contact correct worden gemaakt.
 
Om dat goed te kunnen uitvoeren, gaan we weer even terug naar de basis; hoe stellen twee paarden zich aan elkaar voor? Bij mensen is het simpel: we zeggen “Hallo”, gevolgd door onze naam en schudden elkaar de hand.
 



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Paarden hebben een eigen ritueel, waar wij als mens respect voor horen te hebben. De tijd nemen je even voor te stellen aan een paard is voor hen een teken van normen en waarden zoals wij dat als mens ook kennen. Al vanaf behoorlijke afstand peilen paarden elkaars (en onze) energie en gemoedstoestand. Dankzij dit “zintuig” weten ze al aardig veel over wie ze gaan ontmoeten, mannelijk of vrouwelijk, jong of oud en zelfs of je ziek of gezond ben of van nature een leider of volger bent.
 
Bewegen paarden zich dichter naar elkaar toe, dan valt er altijd wel iets op; uitgestrekte of gekromde nekken, een krachtig orenspel en snuivende neuzen. Het lijkt een soort dans, waarbij de enige vorm van fysiek contact via de neus gebeurd. Nu hebben wij een plat gezicht met onze neus in het midden van ons gezicht. In acht genomen dat mensen er voor een paard uitzien als roofdieren (positie van de ogen, oren plat tegen het hoofd, zichtbare tanden als we praten) is het voor hen niet zo’n aantrekkelijk idee om via deze weg contact te leggen.
 
Wat we eigenlijk allemaal automatisch doen is onze hand uitstrekken en aaien. Nu is dit niet per sé fout, er is alleen een manier om het (voor het paard) beleefder te doen.
 
Bij het uitstrekken van onze hand richting de neus van het paard geven we aan dat we “Hallo” komen zeggen. We wachten tot het paard de uitnodiging accepteert en zich in onze richting beweegt om onze hand en onze geur en energie beter te bestuderen.
Ik gebruik hierbij niet de binnenkant, maar de buitenkant van mijn hand.
​Here’s why:
De binnenkant – of palm – van onze hand, heeft een dunnere huid, zweetklieren en bevat achtergebleven geuren of sporen van dingen die we hebben vastgepakt of zelfs gegeten. Een scala aan geuren dus, wat verwarrend kan zijn. De achterkant – of rug – van onze hand daarentegen is voor een paard “puur” wat geur betreft. Gezien het feit dat we de buitenkant van onze hand o.a. niet gebruiken om dingen mee vast te pakken, draagt het een meer pure geur van wie wij zijn.

Omdat onze vingers van het paard af wijzen als we onze hand op deze manier aanbieden is het voor het paard ook een stuk minder bedreigend dan wanneer we onze hand omdraaien en vingers krommen zodat het een soort kommetje wordt, waar niet elk paard zomaar graag zijn neus in stopt.
 
De achterkant van je hand is dus qua geur en positie veel uitnodigender voor je paard en in sommige gevallen minder bedreigend.  Ook het aaien van de hals of flank kan door drukverschil (vingertoppen versus vlakke rug van hand) groot verschil maken als je paard (nog) gevoelig of angstig is voor fysiek contact.
 
Uiteindelijk zal het doorlopen van dit proces van contact maken voor het grootste aantal paarden steeds makkelijker verlopen en na verloop van tijd overbodig zijn. Veel mensen ontwikkelen een eigen ritueel met hun paard, zo’n diepgewortelde relatie met je paard creëren kost veel tijd en werk, maar het leren spreken van de taal van je paard is al een goed begin.  
​

​
Liefs, Zoë
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    by Zoë
    *Equine Trauma Specialist *Equine Energy Therapy
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    ​

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